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| Such a very small piece of Crystal Bridges |
Crystal Bridges, among other ventures was founded by Alice Walton using her inheritance from Sam Walton, the founder of Walmart. Please read her story at the Crystal Bridges website - https://crystalbridges.org/ - hers is a very interesting story. The museum and grounds are totally free. Someone told me that occasionally there is a special exhibit that they do charge for, but I don't know that for a fact.
We started our visit with a stroll down a couple of walking trails trying to find the Frank Lloyd Wright house. They had run out of detail maps the weekend before so we were trying to use an overview map and even Apple maps on my phone took me the wrong way. But we did see some pretties along the way. Italics are direct quotes from placards.
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Dale Chihuly Niijima Floats 2014-2018 Blown Glass |
Inspired by a visit to Niijima, Japan in 1989, the Niijima Floats symbolize both the classic and unique aspects of Dale Chihuly's approach to studio art glass. The complexity of creating such a simple shape is something that intrigues Chihuly. The artist notes that, although a sphere is the most natural form you can blow, it becomes a different kind of challenge when scaled up.
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| George Segal Three People on Four Benches 1979 |
Bronze figures with white patina, aluminum
benches, and paint. A gift of the
George and Helen Segal Foundation.
You are invited to sit on these benches, but please do not touch the figures. A important artist in the Pop art movement, George Segal engaged with popular culture by examining the people who
inhabit the modern world. Segal designed Three People on Benches to both facilitate public
interaction and to comment on the loneliness of Modern life. Placement of the sitting humans
sculptures ask viewers to question the interactions, or lack thereof between the figures.
Is he sleeping, bored, mad or what? What's your guess?
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| My Best Friend: Good Friday Walton |
On his namesake day in April 2006, Good Friday Walton wandered up to the home of Crystal Bridges founder Alice Walton. They shared 16 years of friendship and memories. This actual-size statue captures Friday's smart, intuitive, and pleasing personality--and invites all dogs on the trail a drink of water from the fountain. In Alice's own words, he's great reminder that, "if we could all listen and be as sensitive as dogs are to our needs and emotions, the world would be a better place." Under the statue on the ground was a small fountain and bowl with fresh water for visiting pets.
From cute little doggies to scary Daddy Long Legs or maybe it was a Allosaurus. Hard to shoot but very impressive standing guard. (Carmie, don't look).
Very impressive but then you get up close and your jaw drops.
krustallos, was the ancient Greek word for quartz, meaning "ice," because philosophers believed the clear mineral was a form of supercooled ice so cold it could never melt.
We finally made it to the Frank Lloyd Wright house and had a very interesting self guided tour with little recordings. Built in 1954, this house was moved to this location and restructured to its original design. It is one of Wright's Usonian designs, meant to be affordable and accessible housing for middle class Americans. I found it to be fascinating in design, but too small and dark for me to live in. No photos were allowed inside the home but was able to grab one outside.
This impressive and unusual display was around the next bend.
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| Yayoi Kusama born 1929 Narcissus Garden 1966-present Stainless steel Gift of Olivia and Tom Walton in honor of Monique Knowlton |
Comprised of nearly 900 mirrored spheres, Narcissus Garden reimagines the story of Narcissus. In Greek mythology, the self-obsessed hunter Narcissus is lured to a pond where upon gazing at his own reflection in the water, he falls in and drowns. Yayoi Kusama's Narcissus Garden encourages us to look past our own unique reflection to see those of other people and the natural surroundings, becoming part of one greater sphere -- that of an interconnected universe.
Bacon anyone?
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| Andre Harvey 1941-2018 Stella 2007, cast 2009 Bronze |
Andre Harvey worked from direct observation to create portraits of his animal subjects, capturing the character and disposition of each creature. Stella was sculpted initially in clay, then cast in bronze for a mold, and weighs in at a hefty 560 pounds.
As beautiful and interesting as it is outside, lets get out of the heat and go inside. There is not enough space here to show you all the beauty I saw once we hit the galleries, but I'll share a few to whet your appetite to go and visit someday. Highly recommended. Same deal as above, italics is direct quotes off the placards they have by each display.
Immediately we were greeted by this cute guy. This is Thinking Man by Viola Frey. I didn't snap a shot of the placard so asked AI and this is what I was given. It is a ceramic structure standing nearly 8 feet tall, part of the Bay Area Funk movement. The sculpture's imposing, cartoonish aesthetic reflects her personal quest to deconstruct standard historical representations of the thinker.
Personally, I know nothing about this artist and am not familiar with his works, but he sounded like a big deal so I took a photo of the car he painted which was sorta cool.
Keith Haring
1958-1990
Untitled (Buick art car)
1966
Enamel on 1963 Buick Special
Collection of Larry Walsh
Keith Haring is one of America's best-known artists, famous for his graffiti-inspired paintings. Keith Haring in 3D, on view in Crystal Bridges' brand-new North Exhibition Gallery, is the first exhibition to look at his work as a sculptor, including existing objects that he animated with his instantly recognizable figures. This Buick Special is a great example. It was already more than twenty years old when Haring painted it, treating it like a big shaped canvas.
This mural, if you will, was hanging on the wall in the same room. Some dumb photographer was so enthralled by the construction she didn't get the details. The mural was huge and made up of these little flowers (look closely and you can see the photographer isn't only dumb but uncoordinated as proven by her finger photo bombing). :)
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| The details |
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| The finished project |
The reason it touched my heart, each dog tag represents a soldier who went to war, maybe stayed state side, was gone for birthdays and holidays, or maybe was stationed in the same post his entire career, but each of them was working not for the Army, not for the Congress, not for the President, he or she was working for you and for me. Thank you.
Do Ho Suh
born in 1962
Some/One
2004
Stainless steel military dog tags, nickel-plated copper sheets and steel structure.
Loan from the collection of Candace P. and W. Michael Humphreys
Thousands of overlapping military dog tags make up Do Ho Suh's looming robe-like sculpture. Each meant to symbolize a unique identity, the dog tags converge as a single united structure, highlighting how a collective is only made possible through individual participation. Intentionally positioned looking away from visitors, the front of the work offers a surprise reveal. When your own image is reflected in the mirrored interior, the artist claims "You truly become a part of the piece."
The back is open, the end of the sleeve has a mirrored surface that I did not photograph.
My second favorite was chosen because of the lines of the sculpture.
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| William Morris born 1957 Caged Horn n.d. Glass and bracket Gift of Merle and Michael Orlove |
Another favorite because it touched my heart. I lived in Houston during Hurricane Katrina and the news was filled with stories that broke my heart.
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| David Bates born 1952 2006 Oil on canvas While we don't know exactly who Buddy is, this larger-than-life portrait from David Bate's Katrina series is one of many emotional elegies to the people and places reshaped by Hurricane Katrina. More than 1,300 people died in the tragedy in New Orleans in 2005. Those displaced weren't allowed to return for more than a month. Many never came back. Bates, who had a long history of painting Gulf Coast subject matter, felt compelled to respond to this epic disaster and its dire aftermath. |
There was a small enclosed garden in one of the galleries that I stepped into. Beautiful flowers and a couple of statues. A tranquil place to catch your breath away from the crowds. We were greeted by Harriet Whitney Frishmuth's Roses of Yesterday. A beautiful lady holding a bouquet of flowers.
Too soon it was time to head back to the farm to listen to the birds as the sun set. Supper was light that night because we were full from our lunch at Crystal Bridges. Delicious, generous portions, and reasonable prices. If you go be sure to stop for lunch (I recommend the BLT).
Keep listening as you travel the backroads, keep your eyes open and enjoy the whispers those roads provide.
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